A New Castle man found driving his dead ex-girlfriend's car with three of her children in it was charged with murder Thursday.

Dennis C. Reed, 30, was charged with homicide and other felonies in the Dec. 15 death of Wendy Miller, 28, also of New Castle. Reed was charged last month with kidnapping Miller's three children and was charged Wednesday with kidnapping the woman.

Police found three of Miller's four children and Reed in Miller's car on Dec. 22 in Butler, police said. The children, ages 8, 6 and 5, were not harmed.

The next day, police found Miller's body near a creek in Lawrence County. Miller died from a single gunshot wound to the head, the county coroner said.

Reed was in the Butler County Jail and it was unclear Thursday whether he has an attorney.

Miller requested a protection-from-abuse order against Reed on Dec. 12 and was scheduled to attend a hearing on the matter Dec. 21.

When police arrested Reed last month, they found cocaine, a shotgun and a spent shotgun shell in Miller's car.

Miller's 8-year-old daughter told police that Reed appeared at Miller's house on the morning of Dec. 15 and broke a screen door to get in the home, police documents said.

The girl told police that after Reed and Miller argued, Reed instructed Miller and the three children to get in the car. Reed drove the family to the creek area, forced Miller out of the car and took her behind a building while the children stayed in the vehicle, the documents said.

Reed returned to the car alone and told the children that their mother had left for work with a friend, police said.